


Stake Out

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Attempted Seduction, F/M, Fluff and Humor, I Blame Tumblr, Seduction, Stakeout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:53:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23637865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Strike is watching a flat on a cold winter night
Relationships: Robin Ellacott & Shanker & Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike, Shanker & Cormoran Strike
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	Stake Out

The man with the short beard sat in the passenger front seat of the Mercedes, not moving, just watching the flats across the street.He’d been there about half an hour, waiting to see if the man he’d been following left the flat. If he did, he would follow him.If he didn’t, he’d wait another few hours before heading home late to his own flat to sleep.He had to get up and do this all over again tomorrow, he thought.Good thing he liked the job, right? 

He dug in the crisps bag but it was as empty as the street he was parked on.He wondered if it was going to snow.The air smelled like snow. You could usually tell, even in London where there was always a smell of gasoline, of the press of people, and of take-out in the air.He reached into the back seat and grabbed his gloves and a scarf.He pulled the gloves on , then wrapped the scarf around his neck, tucking the ends inside his heavy wool coat.The collar was already turned up to keep his neck warm.

He looked out at the street and the windows of the flat his target had entered. He’d seen the target briefly at a window when he first arrived, so he was certain of the flat.His companion had gone across the street to see if there were names and numbers on the flats.He should be back soon.Yes, he saw a familiar figure walking up the street briskly, a bag in his hands.He wondered how far he’d had to go to find a place to get a hot drink.

The car door opened and his companion and driver slid into the driver’s side, opening the bag and removing two big take out coffees which he put in the car console’s coffee holders.Then he reached back in the bag and removed a smaller bag that contained two fish and chip orders.And they were still hot.Much cheered, the man who had been on watch took off his gloves again and dug in while his companion drank coffee, then started eating his own order.“Good chippy around the corner.Open all night.”

“Good to know,” the watcher said laconically. He hoped he’s not be back here to watch but you never knew. 

“When are you asking her out?” the other man said.

“Who?”

“Who?Who’d you think?She’s panting for you, mate.”

“We work together.It’s not on.”

The other man rolled his eyes and ate more fish and drank coffee.“Are they having it off, then?” He gestured toward the flat they were watching with his paper coffee cup.

“Probably.No reason to come out in this weather to see someone otherwise.”

“Unless you work together,” the other man teased.The watcher looked annoyed but said nothing.After all, his companion had provided hot food and drink without being asked.“I’m serious, mate.If you don’t make a move soon she’ll find someone else.Good looking bird like that won’t be single long.Someone’ll be feeling her up before you know it.”

The watcher didn’t reply.He already knew this and was braced for it to happen.The other man’s phone chirped. He pulled it out and looked at the text message.“Got to go.Back to drive you home in what?Two hours?”The watcher nodded. 

The man got out of the car, taking the empty coffee and paper bags debris with him.He dumped it all in a bin at the corner and was soon out of sight.The watcher sighed and went back to keeping an eye on the flat his mark was in.Thinking about what the man he was watching was probably doing annoyed him, especially after his companion had bluntly pointed out the lady he longed for would likely be doing something similar with a younger, fitter guy than he was shortly.

He sat restlessly in the passenger seat, warmer than he had been but antsy thinking about the woman just out of his reach.He didn’t think he had been alone that long when someone yanked open the driver’s door and climbed in.

“What are you doing here?”

“Shanker texted me that you needed a driver.He got called away apparently.”

He mentally added “Kill Shanker” to his To Do list.

“Is that the accountant?” she asked.He nodded.“Second floor flat on the right.Shanker says the flat is in the name of Julia Johnston.” 

“How long has he been there?”

The watcher checked the time on his watch.“Nearly an hour.”

“Then we have probably another hour here at least.”The watcher nodded.That was his best estimate..The accountant’s wife said he often disappeared unexpectedly for three hours at a time.That was why she suspected he was cheating.With travel time, the client’s spouse had another hour to spend with Ms. Johnston.

She unbuttoned her coat.“Stuffy in here.”

He nodded and removed his scarf.“Shanker got us fish and chips and coffees.” He tossed the scarf and his gloves back into the back seat, still within reach.He was turning back when he realized she was now unbuttoning her blouse.  
  
“What…?” he started to say but she was already kissing him.He couldn’t help it, he had to kiss her back. It might be his only chance and even if he had scruples, his body didn’t.It was acting on its own.She was kissing him as if she feared she would also have only one chance.Luckily the old Mercedes was quite roomy.She was able to straddle him without bumping her head.Her bra was one of those that unhooked in the front.He itched to release her lovely breasts.With a great effort, he pulled away from her.“What are you doing?”

“What Shanker recommended.He said to let you get a look at—and I quote—'the Bristol Cities.’He also recommended I get pregnant as fast as possible but I didn’t think you’d like that so I’ve been on the pill for three weeks now.”

“You are going to Shanker for relationship advice?!”He was nearly speechless at the thought, as well as the fact that she was attempting to molest him.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d like to me ask Ilsa and Nick or your sister how to get you to sleep with me. And Shanker’s discreet and practical.He says once I manage to seduce you with my breasts it should stick.He says you are a gentleman.I think that was why he wanted me to get pregnant right away, to make sure you’d do the right thing and marry me.That’s going a little far fast, though, but if this works, Shanker and I are going to set up a relationship advice thing on Tumblr.”She proceeded to start to kiss him again and being a gentlemen—according to Shanker—he let her, and even kissed her back. 

“Have you been here two hours yet?” she asked him after a long and very pleasant interlude spent kissing each other with pauses for him to caress her breasts.

He looked at his watch, “Yes.”They both looked at the flat across the street where their mark was coming down the stairs and heading down the street away from them and toward the train station. 

“That’s done then.Now I’m going to drive you to my flat and ravish you unmercifully.Shanker thought it would be best to have our first fuck there.That way you’ll invite me to yours next since that would be proper.I have clean sheets on the bed already and will make you a lovely breakfast tomorrow morning.Shanker says feeding a man after a good fuck is the way to his heart for eternity.”

“Heaven forbid we not do what Shanker says,” he replied, watching her expertly pull the car out of where Shanker had parked it, her blouse still unbuttoned, her Bristol Cities gleaming like pearls in the moon light.He mentally struck “Kill Shanker” off his To Do List and substituted “Booze for Shanker.”

But he would be damned before he let them start a relationship column on Tumblr.The world’s not ready for that.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, who wants to write Shanker's first romantic advice column on Tumbir?


End file.
